ESPN’s Adam Schefter: Chiefs lost Sunday’s game because NFL didn’t ban Tush Push
One encouraging sign from the Chiefs’ 20-17 loss to the Eagles on Sunday was the play of the defense.
The Chiefs’ defense didn’t look good in the season-opening loss to the Chargers in Brazil, but Kansas City limited the Eagles to a mere 216 yards of total offense Sunday.
Philadelphia also benefitted from a short field twice. Once was after a failed fourth-down play in the third quarter, and the Eagles got a field goal. The other came in the first half when Harrison Butker missed a 58-yard field goal attempt.
The Eagles then drove 52 yards for a Saquon Barkley touchdown run. Philadelphia’s other touchdown came on a Tush Push, and that play is under the microscope.
Video showed multiple Eagles players committed an uncalled false start on the play, and current and former NFL players said during the game there should have been penalty flags on those plays.
In addition to the touchdown, the Eagles salted away Sunday’s victory with a successful Tush Push for a first down and they ran out the clock.
NFL owners pondered banning the Tush Push (which is also known as the Brotherly Shove) during league meetings in May, but the play was allowed to remain in the game.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Monday morning that the decision by NFL owners four months ago cost the Chiefs on Sunday.
“The biggest thing here to me is that this game was lost in March,” Schefter said, although the owners’ vote actually was in May. “This game was lost when the NFL owners refused to ban the tush push. It wasn’t lost yesterday. It was lost in March. And there might be a lot of games that the Eagles play that are lost in March, because this play is unstoppable.
“Not only does a defense not know how to handle it, but even the officials don’t even know how to handle it. You’re seeing the Eagles’ linemen jump offside every play. Officials have no idea. Defenses have no idea. And the Eagles get to do whatever they want on every single play in the Tush Push. And again, I know people hate it, but they have mastered it. They have dominated the line of scrimmage.“
Fox Sports rules analyst Dean Blandino said during Sunday’s game that he’s done talking about the Tush Push because it’s too hard for the officials.
This story was originally published September 15, 2025 at 9:55 AM.
